When Bollywood's Bhidu revealed where he picked his language from

IANS June 20, 2025 303 views

Jackie Shroff fondly recalled how Amitabh Bachchan shaped his signature Mumbai tapori slang during a fun KBC episode. He credited Big B’s iconic dialogues, especially from Amar Akbar Anthony, for inspiring his lingo. The actor, a true Mumbaikar, also recently bonded with Mumbai Indians ahead of the IPL finals. His love for the city’s culture shines through his words and charm.

"You have given us the complete language of Mumbai" – Jackie Shroff to Amitabh Bachchan
Mumbai, June 19: Bollywood’s OG Bhidu, actor Jackie Shroff is known for his uber cool attitude, and his tapori language. The actor once revealed on the quiz based television show ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ as to where he learnt the language from.

Key Points

1

Jackie Shroff credits Amitabh Bachchan for his tapori slang

2

Recalls Big B’s iconic Amar Akbar Anthony dialogue

3

Shares nostalgic KBC moment with Suniel Shetty

4

True Mumbaikar roots reflect in his language

Jaggu dada attended the show with ‘Border’ co-star Suniel Shetty. Show host Amitabh Bachchan asked Bhidu out of curiosity as to where he picked the language from.

Big B asked, “Where did you learn the Bidu language? How did you learn it?”

Responding to the same, Bhidu said, “Sir, earlier, the area was such that the language was spoken in such a way that the ears were open. The mouth was closed, so you could learn what you were saying. And then there was you”.

He further mentioned, “In all your films, you were the one, right? We came later. You have given us the complete language of Mumbai. I mean, you have given us good language as well. But the language of Mumbai that we speak, sir, you have given us that beautiful language as well. There was a dialogue of yours as well”.

Big B said, “Oh, yes! In real life. It was in Amar Akbar Anthony. I was standing in the corner and someone ran towards me, so I hit him on the leg and he fell down. Yes. I caught him. ‘Aisa to Aadmi Life mein Doich time bhaagta hai. Olympic ka race ho, yaa Police ka case ho’ (A person runs like this twice in his life if it's an Olympic race or a police case). Why are you running, brother?”.

Earlier, Jackie met the IPL team Mumbai Indians prior to the IPL finals, and retracted to his younger self. The actor shared a joint post with a fitness brand, a video of himself interacting with the players of the MI squad. Jackie, who grew up in the Teen Batti area of Mumbai, is a true Mumbaikar, and it reflects in his language, and social conduct.

Reader Comments

R
Rahul K.
Jackie Dada is the OG tapori king! His Mumbaiya language is pure gold. Remember his iconic "Bhidu" from Rangeela? That's when I fell in love with this style. Big B and Jackie - two legends passing the baton of Mumbai's street culture. ❤️
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Priya M.
While I appreciate the nostalgia, we should also acknowledge how Mumbai's local dialects are fading among younger generations. Jackie Shroff represents an era where local culture was celebrated in mainstream cinema. Today's actors mostly speak polished Hindi/English.
A
Arjun S.
That Amar Akbar Anthony reference! 😂 These veterans have such amazing recall. Jackie's humility in crediting Big B shows the beautiful guru-shishya tradition of Bollywood. Today's actors should learn this grace from the old guard.
S
Sunita R.
As someone who grew up in Mumbai in the 80s, this article brought back so many memories! The local trains, the street food, and this unique Bambaiya language that Jackie perfected. He's not just an actor - he's a living archive of Mumbai's culture.
V
Vikram J.
Respectfully disagree with glorifying this language style too much. While it's entertaining in movies, in real life such dialects often get associated with lower education levels. We should promote cleaner Hindi while preserving the cultural essence.
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Neha T.
Jackie Shroff and Suniel Shetty together on KBC - what a combo! These veterans have such great chemistry. The article misses mentioning how Jackie's style influenced an entire generation of actors. Even Tiger carries some of that swag now! 😎

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